1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a non-toxic hypergolic bipropellent and, more particularly, to a non-toxic bipropellent which contains a non-toxic hypergolic miscible fuel and a rocket grade hydrogen peroxide oxidizer. The non-toxic hypergolic miscible fuel contains a polar organic species, a propagator and an inorganic metal salt which reacts to form a catalyst in solution.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Innovative propellants have long been used by the United States Navy for power generation, propulsion and ordnance. Prime considerations in the post World War II era have been specific impulse, volumetric energy content, surge/mobilization readiness and shipboard safety. While these parameters are still important, environmental concerns, commercial transitions and cost have been added to the list of considerations to be taken into account.
Traditional power generation systems include hydrazine monopropellant actuators, storable hypergolic thrusters using monomethyl hydrazine/nitrogen tetroxide, and propulsion devices using halogen-containing solid propellants. These systems all pose significant environmental problems and have high associated costs. Alternatively, traditional hypergolic bipropellants have been used, but have proved to be carcinogenic and toxic, as well as difficult and dangerous to manufacture.
In the past, hydrogen peroxide, as well as polar organic species such as alcohols have been used as components of bipropellants, mainly for rockets. However, inorganic contaminants in the hydrogen peroxide yielded an inadequate maximum upper concentration limit of hydrogen peroxide which could be safely and effectively used in the bipropellant. Addition of hydrogen peroxide above these concentration limits created an unstable bipropellant system, both in usage and in storage.
When using traditional high strength hydrogen peroxides, long term containment, safe/practical enrichment and controlled catalytic decomposition problems have occurred. Hydrogen peroxide stored in non-vented metallic containers posed a formidable problem, due to unplanned catalytic decomposition. In addition, traditional distillation technology yielded 90% hydrogen peroxide. Above 90%, the hydrogen peroxide vapors are detonable at the conditions of the distillation. Fractional crystallization is also a difficult separation technique due to water occlusion in hydrogen peroxide crystals.
These technical problems were overcome by massive defense spending, which allowed for the use of extremely expensive and complex materials. However, with current decreased defense spending, low cost and life cycle waste generation become increasingly important factors in the development and manufacture of defense related products. The use of expensive and complex materials to overcome the above mentioned problems have now become impractical.